- Department of Fire Services
Media Contact
Jake Wark, Public Information Officer
WESTBOROUGH — The fire that claimed an older adult’s life in Westborough yesterday was accidental, said Westborough Fire Chief Patrick Purcell, Westborough Police Chief Jeffrey Lourie, State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey, and Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early, Jr.
The fire at 55 Belknap St. was jointly investigated by the Westborough Fire Department, Westborough Police Department, State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office, and State Police assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s office. They were supported by the State Police Crime Scene Services Section and the Department of Fire Services’ Code Compliance & Enforcement Unit. Investigators found no evidence that the fire was intentionally set. They were unable to rule out the unsafe disposal of smoking materials or an electrical event as the exact cause.
“On behalf of the Westborough Fire Department, I want to express our deepest condolences to the family that lost a loved one yesterday,” said Chief Purcell. “Our thoughts are with them today, and we want to remind every family that smoking materials and electrical events are the two leading causes of fatal fires in Massachusetts. If you smoke or have guests who do, be sure to put it out, all the way, every time, using a heavy ashtray with water or sand. And when using or charging electrical devices, avoid overloading power strips and extension cords. Plug heavy appliances like heaters, microwaves, and other items directly into a wall outlet that can handle the current.”
Inspectors found that smoke alarms at the scene were not operational, and the first responding firefighters did not hear alarms on arrival.
“This was the second deadly fire in less than a week in which smoke alarms were not present or not working, and it’s situation we see all too often,” said State Fire Marshal Ostroskey. “Please take a moment today to be sure you and your loved ones are protected by working smoke alarms on every level of your home. Check the manufacturing date on the back and replace alarms that are more than 10 years old. When purchasing a new one, choose a photoelectric alarm with a sealed, long-life battery and a hush feature. This will reduce the chances that someone will disable the alarm. Finally, test all your alarms once a month to be sure they’re working properly.”
The Westborough Fire Department responded to the area of 55 Belknap St. at about 1:44 yesterday afternoon following a report of a fire. While en route, they received a report of one person trapped inside. On arrival, firefighters observed heavy fire venting from the front and left sides of the single-family home. Firefighters immediately made entry to attack the fire and conduct a search and rescue. They located one older adult, a woman who was found deceased. The woman’s name will be released by the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office once all notifications to family have been made.
The fire went to two alarms and firefighters’ efforts were complicated by the explosion of multiple propane tanks next to the home as they were battling the fire. One Westborough firefighter and one Westborough police officer were transported for medical care; their injuries are not life threatening.
The fire departments of Southborough, Northborough, Hopkinton, Hopedale, Upton and Grafton provided mutual aid. The Department of Fire Services deployed a Rehab unit to support personnel at the scene.
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